Former state governors under the umbrella of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, have commended the leadership style of the party’s National Chairman, Kabiru Tanimu Turaki, SAN, especially his efforts at reconciling aggrieved member and rebuilding its internal democratic organs.

The former PDP Governors, among them Babangida Aliyu and Ibrahim Shekarau of Niger and Kano States respectively, also raised the alarm over what they described as plot by the federal government led by the All Progressives Congress, APC to destroy democratic progress made by the country through a plot to turn Nigeria to a one-party state..

They spoke during an interactive meeting with the Party’s National Working Committee (NWC) in Abuja on Tuesday.

Babangida Aliyu, the chairman of the former governors forum, expressed deep concern over the shrinking political space, the rising wave of induced defections, and the systematic weakening of opposition institutions, which he described as a calculated attempt to stifle democracy and impose a totalitarian regime on Nigerians.

“We observe with alarm the aggressive maneuvers by the ruling APC to obliterate the opposition.

“The relentless poaching of opposition figures, the weaponization of state institutions to intimidate dissenting voices, are clear indicators that Nigeria is sliding dangerously into a one-party state. This is not just a threat to the PDP, but a direct assault on the democratic hard-won freedoms of every Nigerian citizen,” said Aliyu.

He noted that a vibrant opposition is the bedrock of any thriving democracy, serving as a check on executive excesses.

Aliyu congratulated the newly elected National Working Committee, declaring the total confidence and support of the former governors in the revitalized National Working Committee (NWC) led by the National Chairman, Kabiru Tanimu Turaki, SAN.

“The PDP is not dead; it is evolving,” he declared. “We are pleased to note that under the stewardship of Tanimu Turaki, the NWC is effectively repositioning the party. His leadership has brought a renewed sense of purpose, discipline, and reconciliation that is critical for our resurgence,” he said

Responding, Turaki declared that the legacy of the PDP’s 16-years governance remains the benchmark for development in Nigeria, asserting that citizens are yearning for a return to the prosperity and stability experienced during that era.

Turaki opined that the current socio-economic realities facing the nation have vindicated the PDP’s track record. He emphasized that the period between 1999 and 2015 represented a “golden era” of economic liberalization, institutional strengthening, and national cohesion.

“We are at a critical juncture in our nation’s history where the difference between competence and propaganda has become glaringly obvious to the common man,” Turaki stated. “Nigerians cannot forget the PDP’s 16 glorious years. These were years when Nigeria became the largest economy in Africa, when our foreign debt was cleared, and when the middle class was thriving, not disappearing,” he said

Turaki highlighted several key achievements of the PDP era to bolster his claim, including, the liberalization of the telecoms sector which connected Nigeria to the world, the banking consolidation and the settlement of the Paris Club debt, the establishment of key agencies such as the EFCC and ICPC to fight corruption within the rule of law.

Also speaking, the Malam Ibrahim Shekarau charged the newly elected NWC not to relent, but to remain steadfast in their commitment to nation-building, declaring that their contributions to the Party’s development have exceeded public expectations despite challenges.

He noted that the endurance and resilience displayed by the party leaders in the face of daunting political problems and national economic instability is a testament to their patriotism.

“I look around this room and I see the architects of modern Nigeria,” Shekarau stated. “Do not let the noise distract you. Do not relent, for you have done more than expected”. He stated.

Shekarau who spoke on behalf of former PDP ministers, congratulated the newly elected Turaki led NWC, and expressed confidence in the team, saying “the strong will in which we confronted the evils on the day we inaugurated the newly elected National Working Committee at our National Headquarters in Abuja.

“We defied the teargas, we defied the threats by the uniform men hired by the devils and finally, we were able to access the National Secretariat and the National Chairman addressed the nation from his office as the National Chairman of the Party”.

The meeting which was convened to discuss the state of the nation and strategy for the party’s return to power in 2027, had in attendance members of the National Working, former governors elected on the platform of the Party, former Ministers and other party stakeholders.